A neighbor observes the people who live in his neighborhood, paying special attention to the mother of four children from across the street, whom he chooses to refer to as Mrs. Mean. He does so because of the way she treats her children, yelling after them and hitting them in the front yard. He witnesses her constantly berate her children and notices the way that they fear her. To some extent, he feels he knows that the way she treats them while they're outside must be better than how she treats them inside when curious eyes aren't watching. Day after day, he witnesses Mrs. Mean and, occasionally, he reports his findings back to his wife or to the other neighbors, such as the elderly Mr. Wallace. Although he doesn't necessarily like Mr. Wallace--fearing him because he reminds him of his own approaching senility--he takes time to speak to him when he visits on his front porch every now and then. Mrs. Wallace stops by one day, inquiring about some moles she is developing, and the man tries to help her explain what they are. Mr. Wallace stops by soon after to talk about her moles more, telling him the color, the location, the number. Still, the neighbor has very little to say about them that is helpful. Then, he sees the Wallaces walking into Mrs. Mean's house, thinking that perhaps she has a better understanding of moles, or that they've come to like her more. Intent on seeing the inside of Mrs. Mean's house, he begins a venture towards it.